As someone who strongly believes in the People, Product, Process methodology of business success. I’ve always been intrigued by McDonald’s ability to focus on every detail throughout the business and optimize every process.

This is not a blog post about their food; this is about the return on investment in regards to the money and time put into automating and optimizing every process in your business.

I recently watched The Founder which tells the story of McDonald’s and I loved the scene where they give the tour of the restaurant. Even in those early days, the entire leadership team was focused on process in order to increase speed while keeping quality control. This was part of the DNA from day one and key to their rapid growth as each new franchise owner was able to replicate success.

How to successfully think of process optimization

Make sure knowledge is not stuck in peoples heads.

Make process documentation a part of your culture and day to day workflow.

Reward your team when coming up with new ideas on how to innovate or optimize existing processes.

Stick to the process even during tough times or time crunches.

Resist the urge to go back to shooting from the hip during times of growth. Stick to the plan.

How are you exploring process optimization in your organization? I’d love to hear from you.

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